Viktor Romel
Viktor Romel is a man whose past is one largely unknown, save for the general details of his place of birth. Born in Gilneas some time prior to the erection of their famed wall, the boy had been brought into a world laden with strife and conflict. His choice of lifestyle had ranged from that of a traveling bravado following Gilneas' fall to one of criminality once he had found himself in Stormwind. Following this brief period of lawlessness, Viktor found himself within the services of Her Majesty's Queen Gilnean Legion after some time, and eventually rose to take the helm of the military outfit. Throughout his service and time spent with the Crown and Lordaeron, Viktor has seen himself knighted, granted governorship of Stranglehold, lorded and founded the House of Romel, and also and most recently was stripped of his knighthood previously given. Though born as Viktor, shortly following his introduction to criminality and partly due to his arrival to Stormwind, the Gilnean adopted the moniker of Velgim while dealing in matters both illegal and immoral. Recently, however, Viktor has renounced this moniker and came clean with the reality of the lie in order to continue on his path of redemption for past sins. Appearance Viktor Romel is a relatively handsome man of slowly aging features. He sports copper hair that is often styled loosely and a thick beard that matches the colour of his head of hair. Despite not being far past thirty the Gilnean shows small signs of age reminiscent of a man beyond his younger years; there are some - though few - signs of graying hair and few lines that portray his age of thirty five. Though a shorter man among many of the soldiers in service to the Queen, for what he lacks in height he surely compensates for in terms of mass and width. The former mercenary maintains a considerable level of strength in his frame; however, as he ages he has slowly become thicker and has since lost the youthful, wiry form that he had once possessed. For the most part, he had long since abandoned his practices of subtlety and has opted for a more direct approach to his work. Despite such a shift in lifestyle, the lorded Gilnean is still no stranger to discretion. His armour tends to be a combination of dark leathers and mail, depending on the situation. When on horseback, he opts for a lamellar chestpiece, riding boots and additional lightweight armour. Armaments Viktor is a man who holds no particular value to his weaponry. Rather than value the particular weapons that he would hold in battle, the knight tends to arm himself with whatever may prove useful in battle. Generally, he carries two blades; two curved sabers, each sharpened for combat. On his belt and within a holster, the man keeps a single cap lock pistol which is generally kept pre-loaded. The weapon is exquisite compared to most; with three barrels and a penchant for luck on its first shot and due to the history it holds, the firearm is nearly always kept on his person. Gilneas and Early Life He was born approximately a decade prior to the erection of the Gilnean Wall that secluded the nation from the rest of the Alliance. He grew up as a baker's son to Horst Romel and Annabelle Romel. The two were staunchly conservative in both mindset and practice- his father had, for a time, served with the Gilnean military and Viktor himself later had as well – yet despite this conservatism, Horst had been involved in illegal matters and was a known criminal within the city’s limits. In a nation of inner conflict, the then young man participated in a few battles throughout the Northgate rebellion and the civil war. Initially, he had served as a rifleman and scout. As time passed, he eventually found himself serving upon a Gilnean vessel whose intention was to protect the nation's borders from outside forces. His military service came to an end promptly for unknown reasons, and his life as a sellsword found its start. Following Gilneas' collapse and subsequent evacuation, Romel - along with a band of others formed from a mercenary company that had he fallen into - fled across the border and continued south towards Stormwind. Blood Money The life of a mercenary, bravado and brigand was one which Romel had opted for following their exposure to the rest of the world. He alongside the mercenaries of the Company of the Golden Hand often hired their services to whatever causes required the strength of an iron fist. They were known largely for the willingness to take on any task; driven by the field commander Sir Falki Vondel, the mercenary outfit earned some infamy due to savagery of their abilities. The Gilnean quickly found himself and his skills aptly supplied in whatever work might provide suitable coin. It was no surprise when he - upon his arrival to Stormwind - quickly fell into the many niches of underground criminals. Within half of a year, he had found himself near the pinnacle of crime within the city. Due to his work, he was particularly well-invested in funds following the dissolution of all assets of the front and illegal businesses which he had once controlled. As a result of such good fortune, the man had found himself quite comfortably set as far as personal wealth might go. Service to the Crown While still partial to his life of criminality, Viktor Romel first served Her Majesty in a display of swordsmanship and showed himself a cruel tactician when he bested Sir Anadar of the League of Lordaeron in her name. After deftly laying waste to the emboldened knight, Viktor found himself in the Queen's favour for his assistance in dealing with the unhonourable naysayers – he was eventually knighted, and became known as a frequent champion to Her Majesty. On the same occasion, the Gilnean trounced a drunken Gilnean harvest witch who thought of the disgraced knight of Lordaeron as a friend and stepped forward to regain his honour. Within months, he swore himself into service of Her Majesty within the ranks of the Queen's Gilnean Legion and was soon appointed as the commanding officer of the sect. From then on, then-Sir Viktor served alongside the Queen's Men through the First Grand Crusade and numerous campaigns against the Horde. Later years of service The Gilnean found himself rewarded with lands, governorship, opportunities and titles numerous times for his service. With the Legion strong, Stranglehold – the holding granted to him – has found itself well-off from when it was near-fallen. Though neither particularly liked at court nor one to make friends, Viktor has begun to mend what bridges he’s burned and looks now to find allies in court. Honors Appointed Duke of Stranglehold for services rendered during the Grand Crusade. Appointed the Master of Justice and Law of the realm of Her Majesty, Madelynne I the Merciful. Knighted by Her Majesty, Madelynne I. -- Knighthood stripped by Her Majesty, Madelynne I following the impromptu “execution” of Lady Ashanna Creed. Commander of the Queen's Gilnean Legion. Rumours Lord Romel is known to have a terrible temper and oftentimes has been noted to resort to violence when it is that he finds something disagreeable. Sworn Men Knights sworn to the House of Romel: Riccardo Rossi Falki Vondel Sucellus Wallack Jedric Altimore Loyal men: Hugoh Sinclair Derreck Oswyn Campaigns Campaigns participated in: - First Grand Crusade - Queen's Landing (partially) - Second Grand Crusade - Dread Rebellion - River's Eye Campaign - Dove Uprising Category:Characters Category:Gilnean Category:Blood of Lordaeron Category:Human Category:Criminals